Virtual Tour: Tacoma Then and Now

Join us for one of our most exciting and ambitious virtual tours yet. The City of Tacoma with Pretty Gritty Tours is hosting this FREE virtual event (you do NOT need to create an account of pay.) We will explore some of the most iconic locations in the city and show you what they once looked like and what remains today. We will see footage, photos, and illustrations of the past and lay them over the present day reality of Tacoma. This tour has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior administered by the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) and the City of Tacoma. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior, DAHP, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior or DAHP.
This program received Federal funds from the National Park Service. Regulations of the U.S. Department of Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination in departmental Federally Assisted Programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Director, Equal Opportunity Program, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240

[@dddickinson51]

Amazing presentation of the City of Tacoma history.

[@RalphtheDog1]

The original Tacoma High School is quite the amazing structure for a small skid-row town, same with Portland High School. Amazing skills and dedication for cowboys, loggers and farmers to be able and replicate European architecture. 26 minutes in the picture says Portland Oregon on the bottom right. Nice photo collection!

[@artbrownsr]

Thanks for the MEMORIES!!!

[@Brendelson]

Absolutely beautiful presentation of the city that many of us love. Excellent work!

[@PrettyGrittyTours]

Thank you very much!

[@lorihaun9956]

Thank you for posting this. I have been trying to do similar then and now with Puyallup and Kapowsin.

[@seansimons7043]

I’m a plumber in Tacoma area and drive by all these places daily, and had no idea of the history!! Would love to do a real walk tour whenever you start doing those. Love those Andrew Cox photo’s they really show how things have changed and stayed the same

[@jvee2901]

When I visit, we go downtown and see all these buildings. I look around and ss the history. I love it.

[@dontheplumber9338]

Tacoma native here, awesome and informative video!Keep up the good work.

[@PrettyGrittyTours]

Thank you!

[@halpestana9241]

Thank you for so many great memories of growing up in the Tacoma area!

[@russell32806]

I just moved to Tacoma. Very good program. Thanks

[@westmax8491]

Do you regret or appreciate your move to Tacoma?

[@alanmeyers3957]

@@westmax8491depends on the person, I’d probably contemplate suicide.

[@johndunn4228]

The yellow jeep was my favorite!

[@roknrolbilly]

love it!

[@Sorebuns]

I have an old friend that lives in an historic house on the SE corner of N.29th and Puget Sound that he grew up in. He claimed that this was the house where the Rust family lived while their mansion on N. I St. was being built. It had a hidden attic space above one of the corner turret bedrooms and servants quarters in the third floor attic space. A house down the alley now has ownership of the carriage house that was part of the original property, it having been converted into a garage for the house that was later built on the property. There are several gorgeous houses in that neighborhood.

[@URSEEN546]

You are such a great researcher! -&- Very ON POINT!! BCUZ IM FROM SEATTLE & TOCOMA . And I miss being home!! I live in POS FORT MYERS FLORIDA!! & I LOVE THAT YOU CONTINUE TO WALK US THROUGH TIME!!! -&- WHEN I DO FINALLY GET HOME,!? IM TAKING YOU OUT FOR A GREAT MEAL!!!! 🙏✝️🤗🧑‍🦰😻🎄

[@thekatzzzzzz]

I grew up in Tacoma in the 60's. As a teenager, I hung out at the court "C" artists mall down by the old Sears building. I would go to the Sears building and get a bag of the hot, cashews. Then as an adult, I worked in the old Sears building which had been renovated. The boss, Dan Baty, was friends with Dale Chihuly and we had his work in the lobby. In the alley below the building was Famous Amos where they baked the cookies. You bought them fresh out of the oven. The Roxy was a dumpy, little theater where you could watch a movie cheap. :) Right across the street I rented an apartment in a building that had been an old hotel for the actors that came to the theater district. Great old metal, Otis elevator in that building then. 100.00 a month rent. Loved growing up there visiting the point defiance zoo and Ivan the Gorilla at the B and I circus store. Tons of great memories. When my kids were small in the 80's it was only a dime to get in the Aquarium. We had an inexpensive zoo pass. Gas was inexpensive too so we visited all the great parks regularly. Glad I had kids during that time. Everything is so expensive now. Thank you for bringing back the memories!

[@baerster]

I remember when Old City Hall was converted into a multi-use retail and office complex in the 1970s. I remember loving it. It was such a vibrant place for a while.

[@PrettyGrittyTours]

I have only ever heard good stories about that time

[@Arca84]

My home - delivered papers back in the 70s before the Tacoma Dome was built.

[@Erica_Brenda]

My dad spoke of Top of the ocean fondly. He said he went there for a birthday dinner in his youth. :)

[@rickiefuwanfui145]

The B & I was always a great place. I went to jr. High and HS in Lakewood. Brown and Haley was a visit once every few months for their broken bars.

[@URSEEN546]

as I was typing a comment, You ACTUALLY JUST STARTED TO TALK ABOUT THE G, HARMON -&- COMPANY BLDG!! IT'S VERY SPECIAL TO ME! -&- I'VE BEEN WAITING TO SEE IF YOU WERE GOING TO BRING IT UP,? -&- ALSO THE ALMOND ROCA, COMPANY?

[@baerster]

Just found your channel. Do you do in person tours? Great channel!

[@PrettyGrittyTours]

I do! Everything is over at prettygrittytours.com

[@Bercyable]

Great work! I remember as a kid, having burgers and fries at the Kress store downtown, ( an actual lunch counter) going to Michaels deli, and taking the escalator in the Woolworth store to catch the bus home. I appreciate the amount of effort to compile this information, and it really brings back memories. Thank you!

[@westernwashingtonhistory1889]

Great video. Tacoma is a great city, needs work, but it is a great city.

[@PrettyGrittyTours]

I feel very much the same

[@jeanettegriffin2439]

Yes, I agree about Mt Tahoma. It should be re named. Mt. Rainer does not sound right. It make sence.

[@rolandonieve-storres5855]

An I miss Tacoma Washington now here in Mexico and my daughter who I haven't seen in 15 years now

[@chrisschmidt8681]

Hey, Chris. I'm also Chris. Do you do tours? I'm interested in Old Town specifically.

[@kippywylie]

The Dickman Mill: In the summer of 2021 there was a project to remove many of the pilings because of creosote contamination. Not sure how much was removed and why so much was left standing.

[@andreharmon7944]

I, my parents, and siblings arrived in Tacoma, Washington on June 9, 1960, on a train from California. There was absolutely no one at the train station site now where the United States District Court is presently located. In retrospect, as a world traveler, Tacoma was on the parallel with some of the most depressing cities in the world. Our Northern Pacific railroad ride to the city of Tacoma probably was the last passenger train ride into the city. It was foggy and dank. I was thinking, after having lived in Okinawa, Japan, for four(4)years do Black people actually reside in this place???? We were headed to McCord Air Force Base. It must have taken us an hour or more to secure a Cab for a ride to McCord AF base. Unbelievable!!!! There was no I-5 corridor just old 99. I was feeling dread and it was probably a foretaste of things to come. My Dad looked all over for a civilian house to live in and we ended up in Hilltop I wanted to stay on Base under that protective veil.

[@Stacie45]

I went to McCarver for 4 years in the early 1970's. I went the opposite direction from you, grew up in Tacoma and Seattle and ended up in Southern Cal.

[@Rudenbehr]

Tacoma is basically a cheap entrance into an overall great region of the United States. It won’t be long until all the houses here are worth a million like everything in California.

[@thunderdragon8341]

i live in south tacoma and its gotten real bad with homelessness and crime and the buildings are starting to go into the slums as this area is now considered the Hood

[@rodgazinya]

Now considered? The South and East have always been the hood. If anything the Hilltop has gotten nicer with all the new construction and buildings. Far less gang activity too versus the 80's and 90's. The homeless drug addicts are definitely worse though. Tents and garbage everywhere.

[@m9078jk3]

Yes the 4,000 homeless people along with the destitute mentally ill,hard core drug addicts and criminal thugs and gang families are getting out of control. Someone like Nathan Bedford Forrest would have a good grasp on how to solve our local issues.

[@Cnoted33]

Tacoma's ancient architecture was founded by inheritors that were imported into the region. The city is part of an older empire that was abandoned or defeated and re-inhabited by new America.

[@janetsummers3067]

What are Apts or homes cost and are jobs plentiful?

[@navyseal1689]

Bro, no development. Why no new buildings getting built